A Passion for Cheeses

Rather than pastries or bread which we understand, perhaps we should be studying cheeses.  After all, we come from a country where Cheddar is considered exotic.  Lebovitz talks about nutty Cote and Beaufort, milky sweet Cantal, Blue de Laqueuille, Reblochon, Rocamadour, etc...... How ever are we going to choose?  Perhaps I'll take myself to Fairway Market and order some, but I'll have to get a very small amount, as all the cheese I buy quickly molds and this is not blue cheese we're talking about. 
But before I go I'll check out Fromages.com which has a bewildering assortment of cheeses in the Cheese Library arranged under pictures of what I take to be a cow, goat or sheep (that one's a little hard to decipher).  There look to be easily 200 different entries...a few more than  Mozarella, Pepper Jack, Provolone, Swiss, American and Cheddar. 
And can you believe that I didn't know that cheese must be cut certain ways..determined by the shape and size?  I thought you just whacked off what you thought you could eat.  Non, non, non!